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User blog:The Magnum Master/Crash Bandicoot Review - N. Sanity Island
Hello guys! Its been a while since I have visited this wiki. My interest in Crash Bandicoot during the last couple of years have been waning since there are no new games and nothing to talk about. Recently though, I have had an urge to play the classic games again. Well, I figured that I would spark some activity around here by reviewing every level as I play them. I will basically split each review by 5 sections - Gameplay, Level Design, Challenge, Enemy Variety, and Memorable factor. At the end of the review, I will post a "Final Verdict" in which I give an overall score for the level. These reviews are just for fun and I don't expect you to agree with them. I hope you enjoy them and please don't hesitate to give feedback. ;) N. SANITY BEACH GAMEPLAY: 7/10 Ah, the very first level of the game. We are introduced to the level with Crash face down in the sand and waking up to find his babe missing in action. Having no time to enjoy the beach, he must make his way through some devious crabs and rebellious turtles before he can move on to find his hot babe. With the help of Aku Aku, he can destroy these lowly fiends and reach the end of this level. Like most of the levels in this game, all Crash has to do is fight his way through some enemies and traps and reach the end of the level. That is the extent to most levels in this game. The early Aku Aku crate placements help make it easy to defeat most of the enemies along the way. The gameplay is your typical Crash platforming. Nothing to expect from the first level of the game after all. LEVEL DESIGN: 5/10 The level is split into two different parts. We first start off on a serene beach that is filled with sand, trees, and butt pinching crabs. It is not too long though before we head up a couple of stairs and enter a jungle filled with ruins and foliage everywhere. Wait a minute, I thought this level was called N. Sanity Beach? I felt that the beach part of this level was far too short. I mean we are literally on the beach for 30 seconds before heading into the jungle. I would've liked to see more of the beach in this level because we will get a taste of the jungle many times later in the game. The one thing I do like about this level is the fork in the road. That is a good way to throw beginner players off. Otherwise, this level was too short and the lack of beach environment was kind of disappointing. ENEMIES AND OBSTACLES: 6/10 N. Sanity Beach introduces us to two basic enemies. In the beach part of the level, we fight a few crabs that have nothing better to do than to walk back and forth while snapping their pincers. They are very easy to dispatch as all Crash has to do is to jump on them or spin them away into oblivion. Later on in the level, we meet the famous turtles who also have nothing better to do than to walk back and forth. Unlike the crabs though, they can only be defeated by spinning them away. The level also contains a few pitfalls. They are easily avoidable for the most part, except for the long one on the alternate path that can only be crossed with the crate bridge. Not much to say about this level. The enemies hardly pose a challenge at all and the pits are easily avoidable. Being the very first level though, this is to be expected. DIFFICULTY & CHALLENGE: 8/10 This is the very first level in the entire series, so you shouldn't expect any kind of challenge, right? Well, the producers are already throwing you to the wolves... or the crabs in this case. The level itself is really easy if you are just completing in order to advance onto the next level. It literally only takes a couple of minutes to get to the end. But if you are a completionist like me, you also want to collect the gems in every level. And the very first level of the game does not make it easy to get the gym. This level introduces the very unpopular and evil crate bridges. Basically, Crash needs to cross a bridge full of crates that create a path over a pit. One wrong step will result in failure in getting the gem. Crossing the bridge can be very tricky, but there is an easier way by running across it while wearing the invincible Aku Aku mask. I have to give the producers credit though for throwing us a curve ball in the very first level of the game. MEMORABLE FACTOR: 7/10 This level is memorable for many reasons. First off, the fact that it is the first level of the game makes it more memorable than some of the later levels. We all remember the scene with Crash waking up on the beach and doing his novel spin. Another reason this level is memorable is for the crate bridge in the level giving players a hard time to get the gem. But really, all this level has going for it is it being an introductory level. Nothing really special sticks out about it from there. FINAL VERDICT: 6.8 Overall, N. Sanity Beach was a good introduction level to the very first game. The level was simple enough for a first time gamer to learn all the mechanics and controls of the game. The environment was also beautiful with the beach and jungle ruins scenery. I also enjoyed the little crate bridge challenge that was incorporated into the level. It is something you would not expect from the first level of the game! On the downside though, this level is too short for an introductory level. It takes less than 2 minutes to complete. Even for a first time or casual game, it should take under 10 minutes to complete. This was a good level, but nothing special when there is more to come. Category:Blog posts